[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 78 (Thursday, June 2, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOSEPH CROWLEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 1, 2011

        The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2017) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for 
     the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chair, I rise today to support the Lowey-Crowley-
King-Israel-Roybal-Allard amendment to restore funding to critical 
Homeland Security programs. Passage of this amendment is vital to 
sustaining our efforts to keep every U.S. city, state and landmark 
vulnerable to a terrorist attack safe and secure.
  The Homeland Security bill, which was passed out of committee without 
a single Democratic vote, slashes support for many of our Nation's most 
important safety and protection programs, including initiatives 
recommended by the 9/11 Commission.
  In particular, I am deeply concerned about the Republicans' cuts to 
the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). After the attacks on New 
York and Washington, DC on September 11, 2001, I spearheaded an effort 
to create a new program, the High Threat Urban Area Account Program, 
mostly commonly referred to as UASI.
  The establishment of this program was important because at the time, 
there was not a single Federal program designed to provide support to 
the areas in this country that are most at risk of a terror attack. The 
reality is that while terrorists may want to strike the entire United 
States, their efforts often target major cities like New York where 
they can inflict damage on the maximum number of people.
  We have UASI for a reason--to make sure that the states that are most 
threatened by terrorism have the tools they need to prevent and deter 
attacks before they take place. In New York, grant monies are used to 
train and better equip first responders and provide them with 
communication systems to assure preparedness, in addition to improving 
the monitoring of key infrastructure that is more likely to be 
targeted, including bridges, subways, skyscrapers and tourist sites. 
Multiple attempts to attack New York underscore the severity of the 
threat faced by urban areas, and we cannot diminish our commitment to 
protecting the American people.
  In the days following 9/11, I stood here with Democrats and 
Republicans alike as we pledged to do everything in our power to make 
sure that an attack like the one on 9/11 never happens again.
  Yet, here we are today looking at cuts to the very programs intended 
to keep us safe.
  The threat of terrorism remains very real, making it essential for 
cities that face the greatest risk to have the resources necessary to 
prevent attacks. I strongly urge the House to reverse these damaging 
cuts.

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